Works on $711m Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2 to commence later this year

THE Victorian Government last week announced it will fast track early works on the $711 million Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2, with the full business case for Monash Stage 2 submitted to Infrastructure Australia for the Commonwealth's final approval.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan said the first package of works on the project will be brought forward, funded from $111 million saved from Stage 1 of the project.

Above: Monash Freeway, near Chadstone / by Rafal Wadowski.

Smart on-road technology will be installed from South Gippsland Freeway to the Beaconsfield Interchange to provide drivers with live traffic information and lane management systems.

Stage two of the Monash Freeway Upgrade will add 36 kilometres of new lanes, with the freeway to be expanded from eight to ten lanes between Warrigal Road and EastLink, and from four to six lanes between Clyde Road and Cardinia Road to the east.

According to the government, the business case for the $711 million project shows a cost-benefit-ratio of 4.6 to 1. The business case will be released publicly as soon as approved by the Commonwealth.The first stage of the Monash Freeway Upgrade is currently under construction and will be completed later this year. Construction on the new fast-tracked package of Stage 2 works will begin in late 2018, while construction on new lanes will start in 2019 after a tender process, and the new lanes will be open in 2022.